The SEAFDEC Secretariat hosted the Regional Symposium on Marine Debris and Microplastics in Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand. The Symposium was attended by representatives from ASEAN Member States, as well as officials from the SEAFDEC Secretariat, epartment, MFRDMD, and IFRDMD. It also brought together experts and representatives from relevant partner organisations, including international organisations, academia, and the private sector, such as ASEAN, FAO, COBSEA, and JAIF.

The Symposium highlighted key achievements and findings from project implementation, focusing on Abandoned, Lost, or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG), research on marine debris and marine microplastics, and their environmental impacts. It also served as a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences from global, regional, and national initiatives and actions to address these challenging issues, with a particular focus on the fisheries sector. It also identified priority areas for capacity building and research and clarified the role of the fisheries sector in addressing marine debris challenges in the ASEAN region. In addition, presentations showcased innovative “closed-loop” recycling solutions and biodegradable fishing gear from the private sector as practical tools for the fishing industry.

The Symposium is one of the activities under the ASEAN Cooperation Project on “Regional Collaborative Research and Capacity Building for Monitoring and Reduction of Marine Debris from Fisheries in Southeast Asia,” funded by JAIF and implemented by the SEAFDEC Secretariat in collaboration with TD, MFRDMD, and IFRDMD.